Apparatus and method for portioning and automatically off-loading portioned workpieces

ABSTRACT

A conveyor ( 22 ) moves workpieces (WP) past a scanning station ( 40 ) to ascertain one or more physical parameters of the workpiece (WP) and to a portioning station ( 24 ) wherein the workpiece (WP) is portioned into desired smaller portions. Thereafter, the conveyor ( 22 ) carries a portioned workpiece (WP) to an unloading station ( 26 ) where one or more pickup devices ( 28 ) removes specific portioned workpieces (PP) from the conveyor and places the portioned workpieces onto take away conveyors ( 30 ) for other locations remote from the first conveyor. A control system, composed in part of a computer ( 42 ), keeps track of the locations of the workpieces (WP) on the conveyor ( 22 ) and also optionally on the take away conveyor ( 30 ) so that portioned pieces (PP) are placed at specific desired locations remote from the conveyor ( 22 ) by the pickup devices ( 28 ).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/619,423, filed Jul. 19, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,989.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for portioningand/or trimming workpieces, and more particularly to an apparatus forportioning or trimming workpieces by shape, weight, or other physicalparameter and then automatically off-loading the portioned workpieces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Workpieces, including food products, are cut or otherwise portioned intosmaller portions by processors in accordance with customer needs. Also,excess fat, bone, and other foreign or undesired materials are routinelytrimmed from food products. It is usually highly desirable to portionand/or trim the workpieces into uniform sizes, for example, for steaksto be served at restaurants or chicken fillets used in frozen dinners orin chicken burgers. Much of the portioning/trimming of workpieces, inparticular food products, is now carried out with the use of high-speedportioning machines. These machines use various scanning techniques toascertain the size and shape of the food product as it is being advancedon a moving conveyor. This information is analyzed with the aid of acomputer to determine how to most efficiently portion the food productinto optimum sizes. For example, a customer may desire chicken breastportions in two different weight sizes, but with no fat or with alimited amount of acceptable fat. The chicken breast is scanned as itmoves on a conveyor belt and a determination is made through the use ofa computer as to how best to portion the chicken breast to the weightsdesired by the customer, so as to use the chicken breast mosteffectively.

Portioning and/or trimming of the workpiece can be carried out byvarious cutting devices, including high-speed water jet cutters orrotary or reciprocating blades, as the food product continues to travelon the conveyor. Once the portioning/trimming has occurred, theresulting portions are off-loaded from the conveyor by hand to be placedon a second take-away conveyor for further processing or, perhaps, to beplaced in a storage bin. The manual off-loading of portioned pieces isoften unsatisfactory because it is difficult for the worker to visuallydistinguish between portions that might vary by only a few ounces. As aresult, the portioned piece may be placed onto the wrong conveyor orinto the wrong storage bin. Also, the portioning of food products,especially fish, poultry or meat, typically occurs at relatively lowtemperatures, in the range of 40 degrees. Performing the same repetitiveoff-loading tasks in this cold environment can lead to physical ailmentsas well as creating an undesirable work environment. As such, relativelyhigh worker turnover is not uncommon.

The present invention is directed at automatically portioningworkpieces, including food products, and then automatically off-loadingthe portioned workpieces for further processing, for storage, etc. Inaddition, the present invention is capable of recognizing whichparticular portioned piece is being off-loaded so that portioned piecesof like weight, shape, or other physical parameter are routed to theproper off-loading conveyor, storage bin, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a system for automatically portioningand/or trimming workpieces to desired reduced sizes and thenautomatically removing the portioned workpieces for routing to otherlocations based on the size, weight, or other physical parameter of theportioned workpiece. The system includes a first conveyor having amoving support service adapted to support and advance a workpiece to beportioned. The workpiece is cut/trimmed into one or more desired reducedsize portions at a cutting station. Thereafter, a pickup device picks upthe workpiece from the first conveyor to carry the portioned workpieceto locations removed from the first conveyor. A control subsystem tracksthe locations on the moving support surface of the workpiece portionsbefore and after portioning and directs the pickup device to pick up adesired workpiece portion and carry such desired workpiece portion to aspecific remote location based on a physical parameter or otherattribute of the portioned workpiece. In this manner, like portionedworkpieces are removed to the same location remote from the firstconveyor.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the pickup device includesan attachment end portion that is attachable to the portioned workpiece.In addition, the pickup devices are supported for movement relative tothe first conveyor to carry the portioned workpieces away from the firstconveyor to a location remote from the first conveyor.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the attachment end portionof the pickup device adheres to the portioned workpiece by suction.

In another aspect of the present invention, the attachment end portionof the pickup device includes a suction tip or head, and a suctionsource is connected to the suction tip to cause the suction tip toadhere to the workpiece.

In an additional aspect of the present invention, the suction source isproduced by a venturi in air flow communication with the suction tip.Pressurized air is supplied to the venturi, causing the venturi togenerate a reduced pressure air source.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the suction tip isdownwardly extendible for attachment to a workpiece and then upwardlyretractable to lift the workpiece off of the conveyor and carry theworkpiece to a location remote from the conveyor.

In another aspect of the present invention, the pickup device is mountedon the carriage for supporting and guiding the pickup device formovement relative to the conveyor.

In a further aspect, the present invention includes an impingement orrestraining device which is located relative to the pickup device forrestraining the upward movement of sections of the workpiece that do notcomprise the portioned workpiece to be picked up by the pickup device.

In another aspect of the present invention, the weight, size, or otherdesired physical parameter(s) of the portioned workpiece is ascertainedor measured downstream of the pickup device, and based on suchinformation, the portioning subsystem may be recalibrated so as toproduce portions of the desired size or other physical parameter.

In accordance with an additional aspect of the present invention, theportioning/trimming of the workpieces is carried out utilizing highspeed water jets as cutters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will become more readily appreciated as the same become betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description, whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a portioning machine utilized inthe present invention;

FIG. 2A is a schematic plan view of the manner in which portionedworkpieces are off loaded from the portioning machine based on physicalcharacteristics of the portioned workpiece;

FIG. 2B is a block diagram of the overall process of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the off loader station of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3B is an elevational view of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3C is an end elevational view of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3D is an enlarged, fragmentary end view similar to FIG. 3C,specifically illustrating the support structure and drive system forcarriages used to move pickup devices of the present invention;

FIG. 3E is an isometric view of FIG. 3D;

FIG. 3F is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a portion of FIG. 3D,specifically illustrating the carriage support structure;

FIG. 3G is a plan view of FIG. 3F;

FIG. 4A is an isometric view of a pickup device of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4B is a side elevational view of FIG. 4A taken along lines 4B—4B;

FIG. 4C is a front elevational view of FIG. 4A taken along lines 4C—4Cof FIG. 4B;

FIG. 4D is an enlarged isometric view of a skirt utilized in conjunctionwith the pickup device of FIGS. 4A–4C;

FIG. 4E is an enlarged elevational view of the hold down device shown inFIGS. 3B and 3C to hold the workpiece in place while a portion thereofis being removed using the pickup device of the present invention;

FIG. 4F is a fragmentary isometric view showing the pickup device, theskirt and hold-down devices;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of an alternative pickup device;

FIG. 6A is an elevational view of a further preferred hold down deviceof the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of a portion of 6A taken along lines6B—6B thereof;

FIGS. 6C and 6D are alternative cross-sectional views corresponding toFIG. 6B;

FIG. 6E is another preferred embodiment of a pickup device according tothe present invention;

FIG. 7 is a further preferred embodiment of a pickup device inaccordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a high speed water jet nozzle and acarriage therefor used in the portioning station shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring initially to FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B in general terms, the presentinvention includes a portioning apparatus 20 having a moving conveyor 22for supporting workpieces WP to be portioned at a portioning station 24and to carry the portioned pieces PP to an unloading station 26. Aplurality of pickup devices 28 pick up the portioned pieces PP off theconveyor 22 at the unloading station 26 and place the portioned piecesonto removal or take-away conveyors 30 moving outwardly alongside theconveyor 22. The removal conveyors 30 deposit the portioned pieces PPonto sorting conveyors 32 from which the portioned pieces are placedinto specific receiving bins or hoppers 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D, 34E, 34F,34G, and 34H at a sorting station 36. A weighing station 38 may beincorporated into sorting conveyor 32 to verify the weight of theportioned piece PP. This information can be utilized by the sortingstation 36 so that the correct portion piece is removed to the correctsorting/receiving bin 34. This information may also be utilized by theportioning apparatus 20 to make adjustments so that the portioned piecesare of the desired size.

Also in accordance with the present invention, the portioning apparatusretains or keeps track of the location of each workpiece WP on theconveyor 22, and the subsequent locations of the portioned pieces PP onthe conveyor 22 downstream of the portioning station 24 as well as thelocations of the portioned pieces on the removal conveyors 30. With thisinformation, the proper portioned pieces can be automatically placed inthe desired receiving bins 34 at the sorting station 36, without humanintervention.

Next, describing the present invention in more detail, portioningmachines similar to apparatus 20 are known in the art, with theexception of the unloading station 26, which is novel to the presentinvention. Such portioning machines, or portions thereof, are disclosedin prior patents, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,962,568 and 5,868,056,which are incorporated by reference herein. As is typical, theportioning machine includes a conveyor 22 spanning the entire length ofthe apparatus 20, with the conveyor having a moving belt 60 that slidesover a support structure 62 constructed in a standard manner. Theconveyor belt 60 is driven at a selected speed by a drive motor (notshown) in a standard manner. The drive motor can be composed of avariable speed motor to thus adjust the speed of the belt 60. Theworkpieces WP are carried on the conveyor belt 60 to be operated on bythe portioning apparatus 20 and then transported to the sorting station36.

The workpieces WP are first carried by the conveyor 22 to a scanningstation 40 whereat the workpieces are scanned to ascertain selectedphysical parameters, for example, their size and shape, and thendetermine their weight, typically by utilizing an assumed density forthe workpieces. In addition, it is possible to locate discontinuities(including voids), foreign material, and undesirable material in theworkpiece, for example, bones or fat in a meat portion.

The scanning can be carried out utilizing a variety of techniques,including a video camera to view a workpiece illuminated by one or morelight sources. Light from the light source is extended across the movingconveyor belt 60 to define a sharp shadow or light stripe line, with thearea forwardly of the transverse beam being dark. When no workpiece isbeing carried by the conveyor, the shadow line/light stripe forms astraight line across the conveyor belt. However, when a workpiece passesacross the shadow line/light stripe, the upper, irregular surface of theworkpiece produces an irregular shadow line/light stripe as viewed by avideo camera directed downwardly on the workpiece and the shadowline/light stripe. The video camera detects the displacement of theshadow line/light stripe from the position it would occupy if noworkpiece were present on the conveyor belt. This displacementrepresents the thickness of the workpiece along the shadow line/lightstripe. The length of the workpiece is determined by the length of timethat shadow lines are created by the workpiece. In this regard, anencoder is integrated into the conveyor 22, with the encoder generatingpulses at fixed time intervals corresponding to the forward movement ofthe conveyor.

In lieu of a video camera, the scanning station 40 may instead utilizean x-ray apparatus for determining the physical characteristics of theworkpiece, including its shape, mass and weight. X-rays may be passedthrough the object in the direction of an x-ray detector. Such x-raysare attenuated by the workpiece in proportion to the mass thereof. Thex-ray detector is capable of measuring the intensity the x-rays receivedthereby after passing through the workpiece. This information isutilized to determine the overall shape and size of the workpiece, aswell as the mass thereof. An example of such an x-ray scanning device isdisclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,603, incorporated by reference herein.

The data information measured/gathered by the scanning devices istransmitted to a computer 42, preferably on board the portioningapparatus 20, which records the location of the workpiece on theconveyor as well as the shape and other parameters of the workpiece.With this information, the computer determines how to optimally cut orportion the workpiece at the portioning station 24, the portioning maybe carried out by various types of cutting/portioning devices includinghigh-pressure water jets as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,875,254;5,365,186 and 5,868,056. Other types of cutting devices may be utilized,including band saws, reciprocating saws, circular saws, guillotineknives, and lasers. Workpieces can be portioned in accordance withdesired portion sizes, maximum fat content or thickness and otherparameters.

FIG. 8 illustrates one particular portioning apparatus 66 located atstation 24 that may be utilized in conjunction with the presentinvention. The portion apparatus 66 in basic form includes a supportstructure 68 extending across the conveyor 22 for supporting and guidinga carriage 70 for movement transversely to the direction of movement ofthe conveyor. The carriage 70 is powered by a drive system 72 includingin part, a motive system 74 and a drive train 76. A second, longitudinalsupport structure 78 is cantilevered outwardly from carriage 70 in adirection generally aligned with a direction of movement of the conveyor22. A second longitudinal carriage 80 is adapted to move alonglongitudinal support structure 78 by the drive system 72. In thisregard, a second motive system 82 powers the longitudinal carriage 80through the drive train 76. A high-speed water jet nozzle 84 is mountedon the longitudinal carriage 80 to move therewith as the nozzle operateson (cuts) the underlying workpiece WP being carried by the conveyor 22.

As shown in FIG. 8, the transverse support structure 68 includes a beamstructure 86 that extends transversely across the conveyor 22 at anelevation spaced above belt 60. The ends of the beam structure 86 aresupported by brackets 88 and 90 extending upwardly from the conveyor'ssupport structure 62. The support structure 62 also includes a track forguiding the carriage 70 along beam structure 86, composed of an upperrail 92 and a lower rail 94 attached to face of beam structure 86 facingthe carriage. The carriage 70 includes a generally rectangularly shapedbed portion 96 with rollers 98 attached to the corners of the bedportion.

The carriage 70 is powered to move back and forth along beam structure86 by motive system 74. In this regard, a timing belt 100 extends arounda drive pulley 102 located at the upper end of motive system 74, andalso around an idler pulley 104 of an idler assembly 106 mounted on theupper end of bracket 88. The belt 100 makes a loop around beam structure86, extending closely along the side walls of the beam, with the ends ofthe belt connected to the back side of carriage bed 96.

The motive system 74 includes the servo motor 108 controllable bycomputer 42 to move the carriage 70 back and forth along beam structure86 as desired. A drive shaft 110 extends up from the servo motor 108 topower the drive pulley 102. As further shown in FIG. 8, the longitudinalsupport structure 78 cantilevers transversely from carriage 70 to becarried by the carriage. The support structure 78 includes a beam member112 that tapers in the direction of its distal end. An elongate track114 extends along the side of the beam member 112 for guiding thelongitudinal carriage 80. The carriage 80 includes a substantiallyplanar, rectangularly shaped bed portion 116 and rollers 118 at each ofits corners adapted to ride along the upper and lower edges of track114.

Carriage 80 is moved back and forth along track 114 by drive system 72.In this regard, the drive system includes a second motive system 82,constructed similarly to motive system 74, to power a timing belt 120which is trained around a drive pulley 122 mounted on the upper end ofmotive system 82 and also trained around an idler pulley 124, which islocated below idler pulley 104. The belt 120 also trains around idlerpulleys 126 and 128 mounted on carriage 70. A further idler pulley 130is mounted on the distal end of beam 112. The ends of the belt 120 areattached to the bed 116 of carriage 80 so that rotation of the drivepulley 122 results in movement of the belt 120 which in turn causestransverse carriage 80 to move along track 114. As with motive system74, ideally, motive system 82 includes a servo motor 132, which isdrivingly engaged with drive pulley 122 by a drive shaft 133.

A cutting tool in the form of a high-pressure liquid nozzle assembly 84is mounted on the longitudinal carriage 80 to move therewith. The nozzleassembly includes a body portion 134 that is secured to the carriage bed116. The nozzle assembly 84 also includes a lower outlet tip 136directed downwardly towards conveyor belt 60. An entrance elbow 138 isattached to the upper end of the nozzle body 134. High-pressure liquidnozzles of the type of nozzle assembly 84 are articles of commerce.High-pressure water is supplied to nozzle assembly 84 by supply lines,not shown, in a manner well-known in the art.

In operation, as workpieces WP are carried along conveyor 22, the nozzleassembly 84 is moved along selected paths of travel by carriages 70 and80 powered by drive system 72. Carriage 70 moves the nozzle 84transversely, and carriage 80 moves the nozzle longitudinally relativeto the direction of travel of the conveyor 22. This enables the nozzleto travel quickly along complicated routes which are programmed into theoperation of the servo motors of the motive systems 74 and 82 bycomputer 42.

As most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, and 3E, off loadstation 26 includes a plurality of pickup devices 28 for removingselective portioned workpieces PP from conveyor 22 and depositing suchportioned workpieces onto take-away conveyors 30. The off load station26 includes an overhead framed structure 150 that spans between theadjacent end of the portioning station cabinet 152 and a frame endstructure 154, which also supports the adjacent end of the conveyor 22.The overhead frame includes a plurality of side-by-side cabinets 156,each housing a drive system 158 for associated pickup devices 28positioned below the cabinets. Preferably, each of the cabinets isgenerally rectangular in shape and has a front access door 160. Threeside-by-side cabinets 156 are illustrated, with the cabinets attached toeach other to create a rigid, unitary beam structure. The drive system158 includes, among other components, a servo motor 162 schematicallyshown in FIG. 3D as positioned above a servo motor cooling fan 164,which in turn is positioned on a mounting platform 166 spaced abovecabinet floor 168 by a plurality of support legs 170. A coupling 172 isattached to the output shaft (not shown) of the servo motor and alsoattached to the upper end of a drive shaft 174 that extends through anopening formed in cabinet floor 168. As most clearly shown in FIGS. 3Cand 3D, a drive pulley 176 is coupled to the lower end of the driveshaft 174.

The pickup devices 28 are carried by carriages 180 that ride along frameassemblies 182 that in turn are attached to the underside of cabinets156 by a mounting bar 186 attached to and extending along the undersideof the cabinet floor 168 in a direction generally transversely to thedirection of travel of conveyor 22. The mounting bar 186 projects from agenerally rectangularly shaped mounting flange 188, also attached to theunderside of the cabinet floor 168. A drive shaft hub 190 projectsdownwardly from a clearance hole formed in the mounting flange 188 forreceiving the drive shaft 174 therethrough. Preferably, roller or othertypes of bearings are positioned within the upper and lower end portionsof the hub 190 for positioning and supporting the drive shaft 174.

The carriage frame assemblies 182 each include a longitudinal beam 192attached to the underside of an edge flange 194 projecting upwardly fromthe beam along a portion thereof that is positioned below acorresponding cabinet 156. Longitudinal slots 196 are formed in the edgeflange 194 through which extend hardware members, for instance, boltsthat engage within threaded cross-holes extending through mounting bar186. In this manner, the frame assembly 182 may be longitudinallyadjusted relative to the mounting bar 186, as will be discussed morefully below. Spaced-apart upper and lower rod tracks 200 and 202 aremounted to beam 192 at the ends of the rod tracks by end flange plates204 and 206, which are attached to the ends of the beam 192. A pair ofrod tracks 200 and 202 are located on each side of the beam 192. Anidler pulley 208 is spaced outwardly from flange plate 206 on an uprightsupport shaft 210, which in turn is attached to upper and lower mountingears 212 projecting from the upper and lower portions of flange plate206. An endless cog or gear belt 214 (FIG. 3G) spans between the drivepulley 176 and the idler pulley 208.

The tension on belt 214 may be adjusted by shifting the position of beam192 and, thus idler pulley 208, relative to the drive pulley 176 so thatmoving the idler pulley away from the drive pulley will increase atension on the belt 214, while shifting the idler pulley toward thedrive pulley will reduce the tension on the belt. The movement of thebeam 192 is accomplished through the use of a threaded stud 216 thatprojects outwardly from the end of mounting bar 186 through a clearanceopening formed in a take-up tab 218 projecting upwardly from the uppersurface of beam 192 at a position spaced a short distance from the endof the mounting bar. Hardware members in the form of nuts 220 arethreadably engaged over stud 216 to bear against the opposite sides ofthe tab 218 thereby to position the tab relative to the end of themounting bar 186. Once the desired tension of the belt 214 is achieved,the nuts 220 capture the tab 218 therebetween.

Next, referring specifically to FIGS. 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 4A, 4B, 4C, and4F, the pickup devices 28 include carriages 180 carried by frameassemblies 182. The carriages 180 each include a slider block 230secured to the four corner portions of a planar, substantiallyrectangular carriage plate 232. The slider blocks include clearanceholes for receiving rod tracks 200, 202. Ideally, a bushing 233, orother anti-friction device, is pressed or otherwise securely positionedwithin the clearance hole of the slider block to help the carriageanti-frictionally slide along the frame assemblies 182.

The carriage 180 is secured to the backside of carriage plate 232 by aclamping plate 233A, which presses the belt 214 against a clamping block233B, secured to the back surface of the carriage plate 232 as bestshown in FIG. 4B. The surface of the clamping plate 233A facing the beltmay be grooved to match the contour of the belt teeth so as to securelyretain the belt between the plate 233A and the block 233B. Hardwaremembers extend through clearance holes formed in the plate 233A aboveand below the belt, to extend within aligned threaded holes formed inthe block 233B. In this manner, the belt 214 is securely attached to thepickup carriage 180 without having to drill holes or otherwise alter thebelt 214.

Each of the pickup devices 28 includes a linear actuator in the form ofa pneumatic cylinder assembly 234, which is secured to and carried bycarriage 180. The cylinder portion 236 of each cylinder assembly is heldin place on carriage 180 by a lower attachment block 238 which ismounted on the carriage plate 232 by hardware members 240. Aclose-fitting clearance hole is vertically formed in attachment block238 to slidably receive cylinder portion 236 therein. The lower end ofthe cylinder portion 236 abuts the upper surface of an end block 244,which has a narrow slot formed therein to provide clearance for thecylinder rod 246 which projects downwardly from the cylinder portion236. The upper end of the cylinder portion 236 is securely held in placeby a quick release clamp assembly 248 composed of a stationary half 250and a pivotal half 252 hinged to the stationary half by a pin 254. Thestationary half 250 and pivot half 252 of the clamp assembly 248 areshaped to define a circular receiving seat 256 for securely clampingagainst the upper end portion of the cylinder 236. The pivot half 252 isheld in closed position by a spring-loaded pivot pin 258 that extendsoutwardly through clearance slots provided in the adjacent portions ofclamp stationary half 250 and clamp pivot half 252 to extend through aclearance hole formed in a transverse pin 259. A compression spring 259Ais engaged over the free end portion of pin 258 to press againsttransverse pin 259 so as to help retain the transverse pin engagedwithin a semicircular seat 257 formed in the pivot half 252.

Referring specifically to FIGS. 4A–4C and 4F, a suction tip or head 260is attached to the lower end of rod 246 for adherence to the portionedworkpiece PP being removed from conveyor 22. A compressible bellows cupassembly 261 is attached over an extension neck 261A projectingdownwardly from the main body portion of tip 260. The bottom 261B of thebellows assembly is cup-shaped so as to achieve a secure attachment withthe portioned workpieces PP to be picked up. A center bore or passage261C extends through the tip 260 and extension neck 261A to present anopening 261 D at the bottom of the extension neck.

In certain situations, it may be important to keep the suction tip 260from rotating thereby to maintain the orientation of the portionedworkpiece. This is accomplished by use of a guide rod 262 having itslower end fixed to a tab 264 projecting outwardly from the generallycylindrically-shaped suction tip 260. The upper end portion of the rod262 slides within a vertical clearance hole formed in the attachmentblock 238. In this manner, guide rod 262 is disposed in a space parallelrelationship with cylinder rod 246. Other systems can be utilized toprevent the suction tip 260 from rotating.

Suction is applied to the suction tip 260 by use of a venturi assembly270 mounted on the carriage 180. Pressurized air is supplied to theventuri assembly 270 by supply line 272. The venturi creates a source ofreduced air pressure which is transmitted to suction tip 260 by line 274that is connected to a side port 276 formed in the body of suction tip260. This side port is in fluid flow communication with the central airpassageway 261C extending longitudinally upwardly from the bottom of thesuction tip to the elevation of the side port. Ideally, an air valve(not shown) is used to supply pressurized air to the venturi 270 togenerate a reduced pressure air source when desiring to pick up aportioned workpiece, while also supplying pressurized air to a secondside port 278 of the suction tip 260 when desiring to break the suctionconnection between the cup assembly 261 and the workpiece, thereby todisengage the suction tip from the portioned workpiece. The side port278 is also connected in fluid flow communication with the tip airpassageway 261 C. The positive pressure air source can also be used to“backblow” the suction tip 260 to clean out the suction tip or removematter that may have become lodged therein. During this backblowoperation, the air valve discontinues air flow to the venturi assembly270 so as to not induce the matter to enter suction line 274.

The pickup device 28 is described above as utilizing suction action tograsp the portioned workpieces PP. However, other types of methods maybe employed to pick up the portioned workpieces. For example, if theworkpiece is composed of magnetically conductive material, the pickupdevice may utilize a magnet. In addition, the pickup device may consistof a clamp or jaw structure capable of physically grasping the workpiecefor lifting off the conveyor 22 and then releasing the workpiece at adesired remote location from the conveyor. Alternatively, the pickupdevice may include forks or tines in place of the suction tip/head 260to spear the portioned workpiece PP. As a further alternative, thepickup device may consist of very cold (below freezing temperature) tabsthat “stick” to the workpiece thereby to pick up the workpiece from theconveyor 22.

Referring specifically to FIGS. 4D and 4F, the pickup devices 28 includea retaining skirt or housing 280 designed to substantially surround thecylinder rod 246 and suction tip 260, and thereby also surround theportioned workpiece PP lifted off of the conveyor 22 by the pickupdevice, as described more fully below. The skirt is mounted on thecarriage plate 232 by a tab 282 projecting upwardly from the skirt asshown in FIG. 4D. Hardware members, not shown, extend through clearanceholes formed in the tab and aligned clearance holes formed in the plate232 to engage nuts (not shown). The skirt is generally in the shape ofan octagon, with one panel missing to define a longitudinal gap 283 inthe skirt to reduce the weight of the skirt and also provide access tothe cylinder assembly 234. One or more of the panels may include slot284 formed therein so as to reduce the weight of the skirt. At thebottom of the skirt, the panels flare outwardly so as to define anenlarged entrance opening 286 for the portioned workpiece as theportioned workpiece is lifted upwardly into the skirt by retraction ofthe rod 246 of the cylinder assembly 234.

It will be appreciated that the skirt/housing 280 may be ofconfigurations other than that illustrated in FIGS. 4D and 4F. In thisregard, a cage structure (not shown) composed of wire elements or otherstructural members may be utilized in place of the skirt 280. Such cagestructure would provide lateral restraint to the workpiece portion PPbeing carried by the pickup device. As in the skirt/housing 280, thecage can be constructed with a bottom opening through which theworkpiece portion PP passes upwardly when being removed from theconveyor 22 and exits downwardly when being deposited at a locationremote from the conveyor.

A plurality of hold-down assemblies 290 are utilized to retain theportioned workpiece downwardly against the conveyor belt 60 while thepickup device 28 lifts a desired portion upwardly off of the belt. Thismay be especially useful if the individual portions of the workpiece arenot completely severed from each other at the portioning station 24.This is not uncommon if a high speed water jet is used to portion ortrim a meat product, such as a chicken breast. The water jet may notalways completely sever cartilage or the tough pieces of meat product.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hold downassembly 290 includes a post 292 extending downwardly from the undersideof a cabinet 156. The post is illustrated in FIGS. 4E and 4F asgenerally rectangular in cross-sectional shape. A slider couplerassembly 294 is used to attach a hold down blade assembly 296 to thelower end portion of the post 292. The coupler assembly 294 includes aslide channel 298 having a web portion overlying one surface of the post292 and rather narrow flange portions overlying the edges of the post soas to be slideable along the height of the post, while retaining theslide channel against movement in other directions relative to the post.A longitudinal slot is formed in the web section of the side channel 298through which extends the stud portion of an adjustment knob 300 toengage within a threaded hole formed in post 292 thereby to securelyclamp the coupler assembly 294 to the post at a desired elevation alongthe height of the post thereby to position the bottom of the bladeassembly 296 at a desired elevation relative to conveyor belt 60.

The coupler assembly 294 includes generally U-shaped intermediatesection 302 that projects downwardly from slide channel 298 totransversely interconnect with a horizontal, generallyrectangular-shaped slide plate 303. The slide plate has a slot formedtherein in the direction generally parallel to the direction of travelof the belt 60. The downward extended stud portion of a knob 304 extendsthrough the slot 305 of the slide plate 303 to engage with a threadedthrough hole formed in the bar portion 306 of the blade assembly 296thereby to securely clamp the slide plate 303 to the blade assemblywhile allowing the blade assembly to be adjusted transversely to itslength, i.e., in the direction parallel to the movement of the conveyorbelt 60. The slide plate 303 is held captive between guide ridges 307extending transversely across the bar 306 and spaced apart to closelyreceive the slide plate 303 therebetween. It can be appreciated that theguide ridges 307 restrict any substantial transverse movement of theblade assembly 296 relative to coupler assembly 294 (lengthwise alongbar 306) or rotational movement about a vertical axis corresponding tothe center of knob 304.

With respect to the construction of the blade assembly 296, end tabs 308extend downwardly from the ends of bar 306 to pivotally couple to theupper edge portion of longitudinal pivot bar 310. The end tabs 308 aregenerally triangular in shape, with the apex of the triangle located inthe downward direction for supporting a pin 311 extending therethroughto extend into the adjacent edge portion of the pivot bar 310. Arelatively thin blade 312 is attached to the lower edge portion of thepivot bar to project downwardly from the bottom edge of the bar towardsthe upper surface of the belt 60. As shown in FIG. 4F, in one embodimentof the present invention, the lower edge of the blade 312 is serrated.Such lower edge portion can be formed in other shapes, for example, inthe form of v-shaped teeth or prongs. A stop tab 314 overlies one faceof the pivot bar 310 at one end thereof and in alignment with an end tab308. An adjustment screw 316 extends through a threaded opening formedin the stop tab 314 to bear against the adjacent edge of end tab 308.The engagement of the adjustment screw 316 with a stop tab 314 may bevaried thereby to alter the nominal orientation of the pivot bar 310 andthus the blade 312.

In use, the pivot blade 312 is able to pivot about pin 311 thereby toraise the blade 312 upwardly away from the belt 60 when a workpiece WPcarried by the belt passes beneath the hold down assembly 290. However,if a workpiece portion PP is being lifted upwardly by the pickup device28, the adjacent portion of the workpiece may be retained downwardlyagainst the conveyor belt 60 by the impingement of the blade 312 againstthe workpiece. When an upward force is placed on the blade 312 by theworkpiece, the pivot bar 310 tends to pivot about pin 311, but isprevented from doing so by stop tab 314.

As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, and 4F, a plurality of hold downassemblies 290 may be utilized with each frame assembly 182. Ideally, ahold down assembly 290 is positioned in front of and behind each pickupdevice 28 (relative to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt)and positioned laterally with respect to the belt to coincide with thegeneral location of the lanes along which the workpieces WP travel alongthe belt.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2A, portioned workpieces PP are removedfrom conveyor 22 by the pickup device 28 and deposited on the take-awayconveyors 30 which carry the portioned workpieces to sorting conveyors32. It will be appreciated that in conjunction with the presentinvention, the computer 42 is capable of retaining or keeping track ofwhich particular portioned workpiece PP is placed on the take-awayconveyors 30 as well as a location of the portioned workpieces on theconveyor 30. The computer 42 is also capable of keeping track of orretaining the locations of the portioned workpieces PP on the sortingconveyors 32. This information is used at the sorting station 35 toplace the proper portioned workpiece in the proper receiving bin 34. Forexample, the workpiece WP may be portioned into different sizes atportioning station 24. As noted above, the sizes and locations on theconveyor 22 of the portioned workpieces PP is known, with thatinformation the workpieces are removed from the conveyor by the pickupdevices 28 and deposited onto the take-away conveyor 30 at a position onthe conveyor known to the computer 42. To this end an encoder can beincorporated into the take-away conveyor in a manner that is known inthe art. In turn, the conveyor 30 deposits the portioned workpiece PP onthe sorting conveyor 32 at locations known to the computer 42. Thesorting conveyors likewise can utilize encoders. This information isemployed by the swing arms 320 that swing across the sorting conveyors32 to place the portioned workpieces PP into selected bins 34 accordingto a desired parameter, such as the weight of the portioned piece.

A series of four bins 34E, F, G, and H are positioned longitudinally ofthe sorting conveyors 32 so that portioned workpieces PP of fourdifferent sizes or other selected physical parameter(s) may be placedwithin the bins. As will be appreciated, in accordance with the presentinvention, a fewer number or a greater number of bins 34 may bepositioned lengthwise of the sorting conveyors 32. The bins being filledare illustrated in FIG. 2A as positioned between the two side-by-sidesorting conveyors 32. Once full, the bins can be shifted or moved outfrom between the two sorting conveyors (down the page in FIG. 2A) andempty bins 34 placed in registry between the two sorting conveyors 32.The fact that a bin is full can be automatically determined in severalways, such as by incorporating a scale into the station at which the binis located as they are being filled. Also, the number of portionedworkpieces PP placed into the bin by the swing arm 320 can be counted.

The swing arms 320 can be powered by a convenient source such aselectricity or pressurized fluid. Swing arms similar to swing arms 320are articles of commerce.

Optionally, in the present invention, a weighing station 38 may bepositioned along the sorting conveyors 30 or integrated into theconstruction of the sorting conveyor. The purpose of the weighingstation 38 is to weigh the portioned pieces PP as they move along thesorting conveyors. This information can be utilized to operate andcontrol the swing arms 320 rather than relying on the computer 42 tokeep track of the positions of the portioned pieces PP on the sortingconveyors. Also, the information from the weighing stations 38 can beused to confirm the weight of the portioned pieces portioned at theportioning station 24. If the weight of the portioned workpieces isbeyond an acceptable range, this information can be fed back to theportioning station 24 to adjust the manner in which the workpieces arebeing portioned by the portioning apparatus 66. In this manner, thecalibration of the portioning apparatus 66 may be continually monitoredand updated as needed. Of course, for calibration purposes, rather thanutilizing weighing station 38, the portioned workpieces PP may beremoved manually from the take-away conveyor 30 or sorting conveyor 32and weighed by a machine operator. If such weighing determines that theportioned pieces are not within the desired range, the portioningapparatus 66 may then be adjusted as required.

In the use of the apparatus 20 of the present invention, workpieces WPare placed on the belt 60 of the conveyor 22 for movement along theapparatus, first passing through the scanning station 40 and through aportioning station 24 and then to an unloading station 26. Theworkpieces ideally are placed in multiple lanes on the conveyor so as toincrease the rate at which the workpieces can be portioned and/ortrimmed. FIG. 2A illustrates two separate lanes being used along theconveyor 22. At the scanning station, the workpieces are scanned toascertain selected physical parameters, for example the overall size andshape of the workpiece. This information can be used to determine theweight of the workpiece by utilizing an assumed density for theworkpiece. The scanning can be carried out by a variety of existingtechniques, including video cameras that view the workpiece asilluminated by one or more light sources. As an alternative, x-rays canbe used to scan the workpiece. Information from the scanning of theworkpiece is used to determine how to optimally cut or trim theworkpiece through the use of a computer 42. The computer can beprogrammed with software to analyze how to best cut the workpiece of aparticular size and/or shape to produce portioned pieces of desiredsizes, shapes or other physical parameters.

Information from the scanning of the workpiece is used to controlcutting/portioning devices, for example high speed water jet nozzles 84carried on a carriage 80 adapted to move back and forth along alongitudinal support structure 78 extending parallel to the direction ofmovement of the conveyor. The support structure is cantilevered from asecond carriage 80 which is powered to move back and forth along a beamstructure 86 that spans across the conveyor 22 at an elevation above theconveyor belt. In this manner, the high speed water jet nozzle 84 canquickly travel along complicated routes under the control of thecomputer 42 to not only portion the workpiece, but also to trim theworkpiece as needed. The locations of the workpieces on the conveyor aretracked and such locations retained by the computer as the workpiecemoves through the scanning station and through the portioning stationand to the offload station 26.

At the offload station, pickup devices 28 remove selective portionedworkpieces PP from the conveyor and deposit such portioned workpiecesonto a take-away conveyor 30. The pickup devices in construction includea linear actuator in the form of a pneumatic cylinder assembly 234having a rod 246 extendable downwardly towards the conveyor belt 60. Asuction tip or head 260 is carried by the free end of the rod tosecurely attach to a portioned workpiece. A venturi 270 generates asuction supplied to the tip or head 260. The pickup device is carried bya carriage 180 adapted to travel along a transverse frame assembly 182by an endless belt 214 which is powered by a servo motor 162. Once thepickup device has attached to a workpiece portion PP, the pickup deviceis retracted upwardly to lift the workpiece portion off the conveyor andaway from the remainder of the workpiece. The carriage is activated totravel transversely relative to the conveyor to overlie a take-awayconveyor 30 on which the workpiece portion is deposited.

A hold-down assembly 290 is optionally employed to hold the workpiecesurrounding the portioned workpiece PP downwardly against the conveyor22 as the pickup device is lifting the portioned workpiece upwardly.When lifted upwardly, the suction tip 260, and the portioned workpiecePP being carried thereby, enter a skirt or shroud 280 that substantiallyencircles the pickup device and the workpiece portion. The skirtsurrounds and restrains the workpiece as the carriage 180 travelslaterally from the conveyor 22 to the take-away conveyor 30. This traveloccurs very quickly generating a high acceleration when beginning itslateral movement and a high deceleration rate when coming to a stop overthe take-away conveyor 30. Without the skirt 280, the workpiece,especially if a food product, may tend to swing back and forth duringthe high acceleration and deceleration of the carriage 180.

From the take-away conveyor 30 the workpiece is routed to a sortingconveyor 32 passing through a sorting station 36. Swing arms 320 arelocated along the sorting conveyor to slide the portioned pieces intoreceiving bins 34. A weighing station 38 may be incorporated into thestructure of the sorting conveyor 32 or may be separately constructed.The purpose of the weighing station is to weigh the portioned workpiecesPP as they pass by thereby to make sure that the workpieces are withinthe desired weight range. If this is not the case, the information fromthe weighing station may be utilized to adjust the operation of theportioning station 24. Thus, a feedback loop is created so that thecutters used at the portioning station 24, e.g., high speed water jetnozzles 84, are adjusted as necessary to help ensure that the workpiecesare uniformly portioned to the desired sizes. Moreover, this informationcan be used to recognize if the pickup devices 28 are not operatingproperly, for instance if they become plugged so that they are notcapable of lifting the portioned workpieces off of the conveyor 22, inwhich case no workpieces would be passing over the weighing station 38.

It will be appreciated that through the present invention it is possibleto continuously and quickly portion workpieces, such as meat products,into desired sizes and also to trim the workpieces, for instance, toremove fat, bone or other undesirable content from a meat product.Through the present invention, the portioned workpieces PP are sortedinto sizes or by other parameters and placed in bins 34 or otherreceptacles. The computer 42 is capable of keeping track of the sizesand other physical parameters of the portioned workpiece as well as thelocation of such portioned workpiece on the main conveyor 22, thetake-away conveyors 30, and the sorting conveyors 32. Thus, it is notnecessary for personnel to physically remove the portioned pieces fromthe conveyor 22 and place the portioned pieces onto a take-awayconveyor, such as conveyor 30 or to place the portioned workpieces intoreceptacles such as bins 34. It is often difficult for a worker todifferentiate among portioned pieces that may differ in size by only anounce or two. However, the present invention is capable of quickly,accurately, and repeatedly making this distinction among workpieces, orother distinctions by which workpieces are graded and/or sorted.Moreover, meat products are portioned in environments wherein the roomtemperature is typically at about 40 degrees, which quite cold, and verydifficult for personnel to withstand on a daily basis. Whereas theportioning apparatus 20 of the present invention is substantially immuneto such cold temperatures.

FIGS. 5, 6A–6E, and 7 illustrate alternative embodiments of pickupdevices in accordance with the present invention. The pickup device 360,shown in FIG. 5, includes a linear actuator 362, which is illustrated inthe form of a fluid cylinder, but can be other configurations, such asin the form of an electrical actuator. The cylinder assembly 362includes a cylinder portion 364 having its upper end secured to anangled mount 366, which in turn may be secured to cabinets 156 of theoverhead frame structure 150. The rod portion 368 of the cylinderassembly 362 is secured to an intermediate flange 370 projectinglaterally from longitudinal follower bracket 372. The upper end of thefollower bracket includes a collar portion 374 that closely encirclesthe cylinder 364. As the rod 368 extends and retracts, the followerbracket 372 is lowered and raised causing the collar portion 374 toslide along the length of the cylinder portion. A camming groove 376 isformed in the exterior of the cylinder 364, with the groove twistingapproximately 90 degrees from its upper end to its lower end. A followerpin 378 projects inwardly from the bracket 372 at an elevationcorresponding to collar portion 374 to extend into the groove 376. Itwill be appreciated that as rod 368 is extended the follower bracket 372is moved downwardly and simultaneously rotated about the longitudinalaxis of the cylinder assembly 362. Correspondingly, when the rod 368 isretracted, the follower bracket 372 is raised upwardly andsimultaneously rotated in the reverse direction due to the follower pin378 riding within groove 376.

The follower bracket 372 includes a lower flange portion 380 having acenter bore formed therein for receiving the upper portion of slide rod382. Ideally, a bushing is disposed between the slide rod 382 and thecenter bore of the flange 380. A suction tip or head 384 is secured tothe lower end of the slide rod 382, which tip/head is in fluid flowcommunication with a venturi 386 attached to and interconnected in fluidflow communication with the suction tip 384 by a nipple 388. The venturi386 is similar to venturi 270, discussed above and is capable ofgenerating a reduced pressure supply for the suction tip 384. Abellows-type pickup cup 390 is secured to the lower end suction tip 384for physically interfacing with portioned workpieces PP.

A compression spring 392 encircles the slide rod between the suction tip384 and the bottom side of the flange 380 thereby to nominally retainthe slide rod extended transversely relative to the follower bracket 372while allowing the slide rod to retract upwardly relative to thefollower bracket 372, for instance, when the follower bracket is beinglowered and the pickup cup 390 makes contact against the upper side ofthe portioned workpiece. A retaining nut 394 is positioned on the upperend of the slide rod 382 to prevent the slide rod from downwardlydisengaging from the flange 380. A vertical groove 396 is formedlengthwise in the exterior of the slide rod 382 and is sized to closelyreceive the end portion of a transverse pin 398 spanning across theinside diameter of flange 380 so as to keep the slide rod from rotatingrelative to the follower bracket 372.

Next, referring to FIG. 6A, a pickup device 400 includes linear actuatorsimilar to that shown in FIG. 5 having a threaded extension 401projecting from the end of rod 402. The extension 401 is bolted to anattachment bracket 404 with nuts 406. Bracket 404 includes a reducedthickness flange portion 408 having the clearance hole formed thereinfor receiving a hub 409 therein. A hollow slide rod 410 is sized to beclosely slidably receivable within the hub 409. In a manner similar to aslide rod 382, the slide rod 410 is adapted to retract upwardly relativeto flange 408 when pushed upwardly from the bottom, but is urged innominal downward position by an extension spring 412 that encircles theslide rod and bears against a washer 414 positioned beneath hub 409. AT-connector 422 is attached to the lower end of the hollow slide rod410, which T-connector includes an inlet nipple 424 connected to asource of pressurized air through line 426. A bellows-type pickup cup428 is attached to the lower end of the T-connector 422 by a nipple 430.A threaded nipple fitting 432 is attached to the upper end of the sliderod 410 through the use of a collar 434. A line 436 supplies a partialvacuum to the hollow slide rod 410 and suction cup 428 from a vacuumsource (not shown), for instance a venturi similar to venturi 386 inFIG. 5.

As also illustrated in FIG. 6A, a horizontal hold down foot 440 isattached to the lower end of a slide rod 442. The upper portion of theslide rod slidably engages through a close fitting clearance hole formedin bracket 404. A cap 444 is secured to the upper end of the slide rodto prevent the slide rod from sliding downwardly out of engagement withthe bracket 404. In a manner similar to compression spring 412, acompression spring 446 nominally draws the slide rod 442 to a downwardposition, shown in FIG. 6A. The upper end of the compression springbears against a washer 448 positioned beneath the bracket 404, while thelower end of the spring bears against the upper surface of a stop collar450. A set screw 452 engages through a threaded hole extending throughcollar 450 to lock against the outer surface of the slide rod 442.

In operation when the rod 402 is lowered far enough, the hold down foot440 bears against the workpiece. The slide rod is capable of retractingupwardly relative to bracket 404, as the rod 402 is further lowered soas to impart a maximum load in the workpiece even as the rod 402 isfurther lowered. As the rod is lowered further, the pickup cup 428engages the workpiece portion to be lifted up through the vacuum actionapplied to the suction cup through hose 436 attached to the upper end ofthe hollow slide rod 410. Thereafter, as the rod 402 is retractedupwardly to lift the workpiece portion attached to cup 428, the holddown foot 440 retains pressure against the upper side of the workpiecesurrounding the workpiece portion PP to be carried away. In this manner,the hold down foot assists in making sure that the portioned workpiecebeing lifted away is cleanly detached from the remainder of theworkpiece.

In top view, the foot may be C-shaped, D-shaped, loop-shaped, circularor of other shape to suit the shape of the workpiece being cut. Inaddition, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the foot may have a sharpeneddownwardly extending edge to also cut the workpiece surrounding theportion to be lifted away. In plan view, the cutter type feet may beshaped to correspond with the circumference of the workpiece to becarried away. In this manner, the cutter foot helps to further cut theworkpiece to be carried away from the remainder of the workpiece, if aclean cut has not occurred previously.

FIG. 6E illustrates a pickup device 460 which is similar in constructionto pickup device 400, but utilizing a different hold down system 462.The components in FIG. 6E that correspond to the components of FIG. 6Aare identified with the same part number, but with the addition of aprime symbol. For expediency the construction and function of thesecomponents will not be repeated here.

The hold down assembly 462 includes an elongated roller 464 axled to thelower end of a trailing pivot rod 466. The upper end portion of thepivot rod is pinned to the lower end of a bracket 468 to pivot aboutaxis 469. The bracket 468 depends downwardly from the underside of aflat mounting plate 470 attachable to the underside of a cabinet 156(not shown). A torsion spring 472 is positioned relative to axis 469 toimpart a downward force on the lower end of the pivot rod 466. A stopscrew 474 engages through a threaded crosshole formed in the upper endportion of the pivot rod to bear against the under surface of mountingplate 470 to nominally position the roller 464 relative to conveyor belt60.

It will be appreciated that the roller 464 imparts a downward retainingforce on the workpiece adjacent to the workpiece portion PP that isbeing lifted away by the pickup device 460. To this end, the roller 464may have a serrated outer perimeter to provide better traction againstthe workpiece. The roller 464 ideally is of sufficient length to spanacross the width of the workpiece as shown in FIG. 6E.

The pickup device 480 shown in FIG. 7 also includes a linear actuatorhaving a downwardly extendable rod 482 attached to the upper end of ahollow tube 484 which has an outside diameter to closely and slidablyengage through a slide hub 486. A stop washer 487 is attached to thelower end of tube 484 and has an outer diameter that underlies a bottomedge of the slide hub 486 to prevent the slide tube from slidablydisengaging in the downward direction from the hub 486. A compressionspring 488 bears against a stop cap 490 fixed to the upper end of thetube 484. The cap 490 has a central clearance hole for receiving thelower threaded tip portion 492 of the rod 482 therein, thereby to attachthe rod to the tube 484. The lower end of the compression spring 488bears against the upper end of the slide hub 486 to nominally push theslide hub downwardly against the stop washer 487. The upper end portionof a generally U-shaped yoke 494 is attached to the exterior of theslide hub 486 at diametrically opposed locations on the slide hub, and ahold-down foot 496 is attached to the lower end of the yoke 494. Thehold down foot 496 functions in a manner similar to the hold down foot440 shown in FIG. 6A.

A slide tube 498 engages closely within a hollow slide hammer 500fixedly attached to a cross member 502 fixed within tube 484. The slidehammer 500 carries and positions the slide tube 498 while allowing theslide tube to slide within the slide hammer. An end cap 504 closes offthe upper end of the slide tube 498 and also is sized to prevent thetube 498 from downwardly detaching from the slide hammer 500. Acompression spring 506 nominally positions the slide tube 498 downwardlyrelative to the slide hammer 500. The upper end of the compressionspring bears against the underside of the slide hammer 500, while thelower end of the spring 506 bears against a tube cross fitting 508attached to the lower end of the slide tube 498. One or more vacuumgenerators or venturis 510 and 512 are connected in fluid flowcommunication with the fitting 508. A bellows cup 514 is attached influid flow communication beneath the fitting 508 by a nipple 516 in amanner similar to the pickup devices described above.

The pickup device 480 shown in FIG. 7 operates in a manner similar tothe pickup devices described above, with the hold down foot 496 bearingagainst the workpiece around the perimeter of the portion workpiece PPto be lifted upwardly. In this regard, when the actuator rod 482 isextended downwardly, the hold down foot 496 bears against the workpiecewith the applied load determined by the size or other parameters ofcompression spring 488. As the rod 482 continues to extend downwardly toengage the bellows cup 514 with the workpiece PP portion to be liftedup, the slide hub 486 slides relative to the tube 484. Thereafter, whenthe rod 482 is being retracted upwardly to lift the workpiece portionoff of the conveyor, the hold down foot 496 retains pressure against theupper side of the surrounding workpiece thereby to assist in detachingthe workpiece portion from the surrounding workpiece if needed, forexample if the workpiece portion is not cleanly cut from the remainderof the workpiece.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it will be appreciated that various changes can be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A system for portioning workpieces to pieces of predetermined weight,comprising: (a) a first conveyor adapted to support and advance aworkpiece to be portioned; (b) a portioning subsystem positionedproximate the first conveyor and comprising a cutter to portion aworkpiece into one or more pieces of predetermined weight; (c) a pickupdevice positioned proximate the first conveyor and comprising anattachment subdevice attachable to a portioned piece, the pickup devicemoveable relative to the first conveyor to carry a portioned piece to alocation remote from the first conveyor; and (d) a control subsystemcontrolling the operation of the cutter to portion a workpiece intopieces of predetermined weight, tracking the location on the firstconveyor of a piece portioned by the cutter, and directing the pickupdevice to pick up a desired piece portioned to a desired weight andcarry such a piece to a specified location remote from the firstconveyor; wherein the desired portions are of a desired, predeterminedweight and the control subsystem controls the operation of the pickupdevice to automatically remove the desired weight portions to differentremote locations depending on the weight of the portion.
 2. Theportioning system according to claim 1, wherein the weights of thepieces of a workpiece are selected by the control subsystem based inpart on the overall weight of a workpiece.
 3. A system for portioningworkpieces to desired reduced sizes, comprising: (a) a first conveyoradapted to support and advance a workpiece to be portioned; (b) aportioning subsystem positioned proximate the first conveyor andcomprising a cutter to portion a workpiece into one or more desiredreduced size portions; (c) a pickup device positioned proximate thefirst conveyor and comprising an attachment portion attachable to aportioned workpiece, the pickup device moveable relative to the firstconveyor to carry a portioned workpiece to a location remote from thefirst conveyor; (d) a control subsystem controlling the operation of thecutter to portion a workpiece into one or more reduced size portions,tracking the location on the first conveyor of a workpiece portionportioned by the cutter, and directing the pickup device to pick up adesired workpiece portion and carry such a workpiece portion to aspecified location remote from the first conveyor; and (e) a weighingstation positioned downstream from the location of the pickup device toweigh a cut workpiece portion.
 4. The portioning system according toclaim 3, wherein the weighing station weighs a portioned workpiecepicked up by the pickup device and transported to a location remote fromthe first conveyor.
 5. The portioning system according to claim 3,wherein the control subsystem adjusts the cutter of the portioningsubsystem based on the weight of a portioned workpiece measured at theweighing station.
 6. The portioning system according to claim 3, furthercomprising a second conveyor positioned relative to the first conveyorfor receiving a workpiece portion removed from the first conveyor by thepickup device and deposited on to the second conveyor by the pickupdevice.
 7. The portioning system according to claim 3, furthercomprising a support structure positioned relative to the firstconveyor, the support structure carrying the pickup device and movingthe pickup device between the first conveyor and a location remote fromthe first conveyor.
 8. The portioning system according to claim 7,wherein the support structure comprises: (a) a carriage having amounting system detachably mounting the pickup device to the carriage;and (b) a motive system powering the carriage for movement relative tothe first conveyor.
 9. The portioning system according to claim 7,wherein the support structure comprises: (a) a carriage; (b) anattachment system mounted on the carriage system to detachably attachthe pickup device to the carriage; (c) a carriage guide structurepositioned relative to the first conveyor, the guide structure havinglongitudinal guides engaging with the carriage to support and guide themovement of the carriage; and (d) a motive system to power the carriagefor movement relative to the guide.
 10. The portioning system accordingto claim 3, wherein the attachment portion of the pickup device ismoveable in the downwardly direction to attach to a workpiece portion onthe first conveyor and moveable in the upwardly direction to lift aworkpiece portion upwardly off the first conveyor.
 11. The portioningsystem according to claim 10, wherein the pickup device comprises asuction head and a suction source in communication with the suctionhead.
 12. The portioning system according to claim 11, wherein thesuction source comprises: (a) a venturi in fluid flow communication withthe suction head; and (b) an air supply source in communication with theventuri.
 13. The portioning system according to claim 3, wherein thepickup device comprises an actuator having a body portion and anextendable portion extendable from the body portion, the extendableportion being coupled to the attachment portion of the pickup device.14. The portioning system according to claim 3, wherein the attachmentportion of the pickup device is restrained against rotation about anaxis that is generally perpendicular to a plane of the first conveyor.15. The portioning system according to claim 3, further comprising acage structure at least partially enveloping the pickup device as wellas a workpiece portion attached to the pickup device, the cage structurehaving a downwardly directed opening for receiving a workpiece portionattached to the attachment portion of the pickup device.
 16. Theportioning system according to claim 3, further comprising a restraintlocated relative to the pickup device, the restraint presenting anabutment surface that surrounds at least a portion of a workpieceportion attached to the attachment portion of the pickup device.